No need to target Isa’s past in Bagan Pinang: Anwar Ibrahim
KELANA JAYA, Sept 11 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to be the “classier” side when he leads the opposition coalition’s campaign in the Bagan Pinang by-election.
Noting that although the “tainted” past of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) expected candidate there — Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is a former Umno vice-president convicted of money politics — can be advantageous to PR, Anwar said the opposition had no intention to exploit it.
“It is not about the candidate but the failure of Umno in governance, notwithstanding the candidate,” he told The Malaysian Insider after performing Friday prayers here.
“The issue is not about their candidate, Umno will always field in candidates with dubious backgrounds,” added the parliamentary opposition leader.
Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is said to be the most likely candidate to contest the Bagan Pinang state seat, but critics have pointed out his three-year suspension from Umno for vote buying would hand PR a clear advantage.
The former Negeri Sembilan mentri besar’s defensive public statements — insisting on his credentials as a solid candidate and the dismissal of suggestions he would be a liability to the ruling coalition despite his conviction — have reinforced the speculation on his candidacy.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the Teluk Kemang Umno division — led by Isa —would submit only his name to the central leadership.
Bagan Pinang is an Umno stronghold situated within the Teluk Kemang parliamentary constituency that is represented by PKR’s Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas.
In the last general election Umno’s Azman Mohammad Noor, who died on Sept 4, won the seat when he defeated Ramli Ismail of PAS by some 2,000 votes.
PR leaders believe the existence of around 4,000 postal votes for the state constituency would make the Bagan Pinang vote a lopsided contest and the blame, for Anwar and company, sits squarely on the shoulders of the Elections Commission (EC).
“Isn’t it the EC’s duty to look into this? There is a clear widespread deception here and it is time that the body acts with transparency,” said the PKR leader.
The EC will meet on Monday to decide on the nomination and polling dates, and while PKR have backed PAS to contest there, Umno is expected to decide on the choice of its candidate today.
MI
11/09/09
KELANA JAYA, Sept 11 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to be the “classier” side when he leads the opposition coalition’s campaign in the Bagan Pinang by-election.
Noting that although the “tainted” past of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) expected candidate there — Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is a former Umno vice-president convicted of money politics — can be advantageous to PR, Anwar said the opposition had no intention to exploit it.
“It is not about the candidate but the failure of Umno in governance, notwithstanding the candidate,” he told The Malaysian Insider after performing Friday prayers here.
“The issue is not about their candidate, Umno will always field in candidates with dubious backgrounds,” added the parliamentary opposition leader.
Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is said to be the most likely candidate to contest the Bagan Pinang state seat, but critics have pointed out his three-year suspension from Umno for vote buying would hand PR a clear advantage.
The former Negeri Sembilan mentri besar’s defensive public statements — insisting on his credentials as a solid candidate and the dismissal of suggestions he would be a liability to the ruling coalition despite his conviction — have reinforced the speculation on his candidacy.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the Teluk Kemang Umno division — led by Isa —would submit only his name to the central leadership.
Bagan Pinang is an Umno stronghold situated within the Teluk Kemang parliamentary constituency that is represented by PKR’s Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas.
In the last general election Umno’s Azman Mohammad Noor, who died on Sept 4, won the seat when he defeated Ramli Ismail of PAS by some 2,000 votes.
PR leaders believe the existence of around 4,000 postal votes for the state constituency would make the Bagan Pinang vote a lopsided contest and the blame, for Anwar and company, sits squarely on the shoulders of the Elections Commission (EC).
“Isn’t it the EC’s duty to look into this? There is a clear widespread deception here and it is time that the body acts with transparency,” said the PKR leader.
The EC will meet on Monday to decide on the nomination and polling dates, and while PKR have backed PAS to contest there, Umno is expected to decide on the choice of its candidate today.
MI
11/09/09
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